Biliverdin Reductase A is a major determinant of neuroprotective Nrf2 signaling.

Abstract

Biliverdin reductase A (BVRA), the terminal enzyme in heme catabolism, generates the neuroprotective and lipophilic antioxidant bilirubin. Here, we identify a novel non-enzymatic role for BVRA in redox regulation. We show that BVRA directly interacts with nuclear factor erythroid-derived factor-like 2 (Nrf2), the master regulator of redox homeostasis, to modulate target signaling pathways. ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analyses reveal that this interaction coordinates the expression of neuroprotective genes that are typically dysregulated in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Thus, this previously unknown BVRA-Nrf2 axis controls an essential pathway of redox signaling in neuroprotection. Our findings establish BVRA as a dual-function integrator of antioxidant defenses in both the lipophilic and hydrophilic subcellular compartments, bridging these two distinct and critical cellular protection mechanisms in the brain. This advancement in understanding the endogenous antioxidant system of the brain positions the BVRA-Nrf2 axis as a promising therapeutic target for neurodegenerative disease.

Significance statement: We show a non-canonical role for biliverdin reductase A (BVRA), classically known as the biosynthetic enzyme for bilirubin, in nonenzymatic modulation of antioxidant neuroprotective nuclear factor erythroid-derived factor-like 2 (Nrf2) signaling in the brain. Both BVRA and Nrf2 signaling are compromised in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, and the BVRA-Nrf2 axis offers a new direction for developing neuroprotective therapies.